But Feathers Are Meant For The Sky
by DangerousDream
Summary: What happens when Myrnin offers Claire something she can't refuse: the change to experience life at it fullest, anywhere but Morganville?
1. Chapter 1

**I feel kind of like... 'Ugh?' about this chapter. I'm not sure I like how it flows really, but the first chapter is always the hardest so I'm sure it will get better/easier. Anyhow, I've been wanting to write this for ages but held back, thinking that nobody would read it but I recently decided to just go ahead with it anyway.**

_There's nothing here_, that was my first thought as I stumbled down the stairs leading to the lab. I clung to the railing of the stairs as though it was my lifeline. The lab was empty. All of Myrnin's things - countless amounts of wacky clothing, dust ridden books, clunky science equipment - were all gone. The room seemed huge, and cold. It was unfriendly, with the dim, flickering light overhead giving off the kind of atmosphere that you only ever see in horror films. The last time the lab was like this was when the vampires were planning on running away to escape the draug.

I took a deep breath and flicked through a mental calendar. Was it some kind of special occasion? Had something happened that I was unaware of? Was this one of Myrnin's crazy experiments, or something like that? What the hell was going on, and why was the lab empty?

"Myrnin!" I called at the top of my breath, "What's going on?"

Myrnin appeared at the other end of the room, obviously having just came out of the bedroom. He wore a sombre expression, and his eyes were plastered with misery and anxiety. His dark brown curls were even darker than usual and only accentuated his pale complexion, which right now was scarily pale, even for a vampire. Myrnin was wearing a floor length black, leather jacket paired with a purple shirt, dress pants and gloves. Normally, it would have made me chuckle to myself, but right now, all I could think about was finding out what was going on.

"What's going on?" I repeated after a few moments of mindlessly gazing at him, "Why is the lab empty? Where's all your stuff?"

"I'm leaving," he said simply. His voice was emotionless, maybe even slightly irritated. He sounded like my presence annoyed him greatly. Even so, I could hear the soft quiver in it. He was doubting himself again, trying to cover his tracks with hostility. Myrnin was like a closed book, one that only myself - and a select few others - could read.

"What?" I gasp instinctively , "Why?"

"Amelie needed someone to track vampires outside of town," He says emotionlessly, then sighs and continues, "I jumped at the chance, it's been years since I saw anything outside of Morganville," That's true. He helped Amelie build this town, then she trapped him like a caged bird, just like everyone else.

"But what about the lab? I can't do it alone!" I blurt. _That's a lie, _I think to myself before I block it out. I'm perfectly capable of running Morganville alone. Myrnin knows this, so does Amelie. That's not the problem.

"Then join me, little bird," He says and I blink for a few seconds, making sure I heard him properly. Did he just ask me to join him? On a trip away from Morganville?

"Where?" I ask quickly, without thinking. I need to know all the details before I can let myself feel anything.

"Anywhere but here," He answers simply and quickly. I see him watching the cogs in my brain turn, his hope building with every second that he stares at me while I think it over.

I can't deny, it's tempting. So very tempting. Myrnin isn't the only one trapped in Morganville, we all are. I never wanted this life. I dreamed of travelling the world and being a mega scientist. Morganville. TPU. The lab. It was all supposed to act as bridge to something else. I just didn't know what that was yet.

I had everything you could possibly want here in Morganville: the world's sweetest boyfriend/fiance who offered me a steady future; two awesome best friends that I trusted with my life; a really good, well-paying job that gave me opportunities that you can't get anywhere else in the world; a good education and plenty of life's luxuries that some people can only dream of.

So why do I feel so empty?

I suddenly felt so ungrateful. I had everything, so why was I complaining? But deep down, I knew that this wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to go to far away places and try new things. I wanted to meet all kinds of people and experience all sorts of different cultures. I didn't care for money or possessions; I wanted to be rich in experience and amazing memories instead.

What Myrnin was offering me was all that and more. It wasn't just a holiday of a lifetime. It was the chance to truly _live. _Wasn't it simple?

Going with Myrnin means leaving Morganville and leaving Morganville means leaving Shane. Shane, who has been nothing but amazing to me ever since I met him. I love him. I do. I just don't know if I love him enough to sacrifice all my dreams for him. God, I'm such a bitch. If it was the other way round, Shane would have said no within a matter of milliseconds.

_But you're not Shane, and he's not you, _an annoying, niggling voice tells me at the back of my head, _You barely have anything in common with him, he's holding you back. You and Myrnin are the same, he can offer you so much more._

I shake that thought out of my head about as fast as it came in. I do _not_ have feelings for my boss, and he certainly doesn't have feelings for me. He loves my brain, not me.

_Are you sure?_

"Shut up!" I scream at my inner demons. It takes me a few seconds to snap back into reality, and when I do, I can't help but feel ashamed. Did I seriously just scream at myself out loud?

"I wasn't aware that I'd said anything that would provoke that kind of response?" Myrnin challenged, with one eyebrow raised and I sighed.

"I know, and I'm sorry," I tell him softly, "I was just thinking,"

I see his dark blue eyes brighten for a second, flickers of hope shining indescribably from them. His voice reeks of it when he finally speaks "And?"

I feel my heart pang with guilt, "I can't. I have-"

"You have Shane. I know," He mutters, and I don't bother to correct him about interrupting me. He pulls away from me instinctively, but not before I watch his heart break into tiny pieces once again and I catch his expression. It's a mix of confusion, sadness and anger; the last one is directed to himself, not me. It's as if he can't believe that he would be so foolish as to believe that I would go with him. He hates himself for thinking he had a chance.

_If only he knew the truth._

"I'm so sorry, Myr," I soothe, and I mean it. I put my hands on his shoulders gently, but he shakes them off and I pull back. He takes a deep breath that he doesn't need.

"No, _I'm _sorry," His tone is polite, formal, and most of all, unemotional, "I can't expect you to just drop everything to come with me, I apologise. It was awfully rude of me,"

I'm left speechless. I don't know what to say. Maybe I shouldn't say anything at all. If I could even string a sentence together, it would be no use anyway. The damage is done. I pick up my rucksack from the floor and swing it over the shoulder. My jaw is still gaping as I put one foot in front of the other. I climb the stairs with weak knees and feel tears brewing in my eyes.

"I know it won't happen," His voice is weak and I spin to face him. His eyes are glossy and he swallows nervously as he continues, "But if you change your mind, I'm leaving at 4pm tomorrow,"


	2. Chapter 2

I toss and turn all night, listening to the soft hum of Shane's gentle breathing. I use the sound to remind myself of why I can't go. I can't go with Myrnin, I _can't_. I repeated the mantra over and over in my head: I have Shane, I love him, we're happy. I have Shane, I love him, we're happy.

_If that's true, _a niggling, annoying voice in my head asks, _then why do you feel so empty?_

Damnit, I rolled over and checked the time. It was 4am, 16th June 2014. 12 hours until Myrnin leaves. 12 hours until my decision is made final. Obviously, I wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. I swung my legs over the side of the side of the bed and made my way downstairs. I went straight to the kitchen and poured my self a glass of ice cold water, hoping it would help clear my mind so I could make a logical decision.

_Okay, Claire, _I coached myself_, think. What do you really want to do?_

A lump started to form in my throat and I swallowed a mouthful of water, trying to push it back down. I leaned against the kitchen counter, taking deep breaths, trying to block all the thoughts out of my mind. After a few moments, I gave up. I started sobbing, letting fat tears roll relentlessly down my face, gasping through my haze-filled sorrow. Could could I choose between my boyfriend and my biggest dream?

"Claire?" I heard Shane whisper from behind me, almost cautiously, "What's wrong?"

I gasped and span round to face him, tears still running down my face. I grip the counter and try to mumble a sentence, "I didn't know you were awake."

"I heard you wake up," He said, rushing over to me. He put his hands over my shoulders and checked me for injuries. Figuring I was okay he repeated softly, "What's wrong?"

The love and concern in his voice made my heart pang in my chest. I was such a heartless bitch. Here I was, considering whether or not to leave him (albeit, just for a long trip) and he was by my side within a second when I needed him. How was that fair? It wasn't. But even with the guilt I felt, I knew that my decision was made.

I struggled for a few seconds to come up with a lie to satisfy him, before realizing that it wasn't fair for me to lie to him. If I was going to go with Myrnin, shouldn't Shane get a say in it, or at the very least, shouldn't he know about it?

"Myrnin offered me something, I said no, of course, but I don't know if it was the right decision," I tell him.

"What did he offer you?"

"A ticket out of Morganville. The oppurtunity to live life properly and go anywhere except from here. For a few months atleast," I blurt, honestly, and take it back within a millisecond. But even so, what's said is said and I take a deep breath through my teeth, waiting for his reply. He gasps and puts his hands either side of his head. He looks down for a few seconds, and when he looks back up, he's murderous.

"So you're leaving me?" He growls, "After everything that I've done for you,"

I start sobbing again, "It's not like that!" He gave a deep, furious laugh that gave me chills, I hated it when he was angry.

"It's not like that is it? Then Claire, damnit, explain yourself! Because for all I see, you're leaving me. For _him,_" He spat the words like they were venom.

"It's just for a few months," I argued, knowing that it was no use. I knew how guilt I looked, "I just need to get out of this town and experience things other than Morganville, I'll be back before you know it!"

Shane turned away from me and slammed his fist into the door, making the whole room vibrate. I fliched instinctly, wrapping my arms around myself. Within seconds, Michael and Eve appeared at the door, Michael arms either side of the door frame, sheltering Eve from whatever was happening.

"What the hell is the going on?" He asked, staring furiously at Shane. _Don't, _I thought telepathically, _don't blame him. It's not his fault, it's mine. _

"Claire's leaving me," He tells them flatly. They both gasp and look to me for answers.

"I'm not! I'm ju-"

"Don't give me any of your damn excuses Claire! I'm sick of it!"

"You're sick of me, you mean?" I hiss, and feel guilty straight away. Michael and Eve watch silently, their heads turning backwards and forwards from Shane to me.

"Don't play the victim, Claire! I'm not doing this, you are. This is _your _fault!" Ouch. I couldn't deny that it was true, but it still hurt.

"I'm suffocating here Shane, I'm trapped!"

"Oh, well if all I do is suffocate you, then what are you waiting for? Why not leave right now?"

"You're just angry because I'm doing something for _me _for a change!"

"No, I'm angry because I'd do anything for you, on any day and you don't love me enough to stay here instead of running off with your boss, do you?" He blurts and it's followed by silence when I can't think of anything to say to him. I "See... I knew I was right. I'm done, I'm going back to bed," He held his hands up and pushed past Michael on his way upstairs. There was an awkward silence as I listened to him go. As soon as he slammed his door, I started sobbing and ran upstairs into my room, locking the door behind me so Eve and Michael wouldn't follow me, asking question. I needed to be alone.

The bed felt oversized and cold when I was lying there alone. I grabbed one of the pillows and cuddled into it, like I used to do with my stuffed toys as a kid. What had I done? A few minutes later, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Claire, do you want to talk about it?" Eve whispered through. I ignored her, hoping that she'd leaving me alone, thinking I was asleep. I heard her and Michael muttering quietly to each other, probably trying to figure out what was going on between Shane and I. After a while, I heard them both go to bed. I waited a while and it was only when they fell back asleep that I let tears roll down down my cheeks...


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the long AN but I just want to clarify something. This story is CLYRNIN. Yes, there are bits of fluffy Clane but Claire and Myrnins relationship is the main point of the story. So if you ship Clane, don't get upset when things happen later on in the story that damage their relationship, that's the point. If you ship Clyrnin, then don't get disheartened or stop reading if there's a lack of Clyrnin at first. I dont think that Claire would fall in love that easy, and it would be out of character for Myrnin to show his emotions too much so please bear with me as the first chapters are the hardest, most boring.**

**Oh, and sorry for the crappy chapter and slow updates. It gets better, promise.**

When my pillow was saturated with tears and mascara stained, my heart-wrenching sobs settled into a gentle whimper. Was Shane right? Was I really leaving him by choosing to go with Myrnin? Was I breaking his heart? I didn't want to hurt him but I really needed to go. I had to know what was out there in the world before I was forced to live in Morganville until I died. It was a once in a lifetime oppurtunity. If it was the other way around, I' wat him to go, wouldn't I?

Wouldn't I?

I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as I realised that I _wouldn't. _If the tables were turned and he wanted to go on a trip for God-knows-how-long to God-knows-whwer with his boss who I was convinced had a crush on him, I'd feel betrayed too What sane person wouldn't? I was an awful girlfriend.

I sniffed into the pillow as there was a knock on the door. I lifted my head wearily and looked over at the door sadly. At first I thought I'd imgined it but then the knock came again. I jumped up and ran to the door, swinging it open with a force that made the door shake.

Shane was leaning weakly against the door, as if his body was broken as well as his heart. His eyes were bloodshot, so I know hed been crying although he'd never actually admit it.

"Hey," I whispered softly to him.

"Hey you," He tucked my hair behind my ear and gave me a crooked smile that he knew made my heart melt. I looked up at him with hopeful, but sad smile.

"I thought you hated me now," Imumbled, looking sheepishly down at my feet.

"Hate you? I could never hate you Claire,"

When I realised that he wasn't angry anymore, I jumped at my chance to make things right. Even if it meant sacrificing my own dreams, "Listen, I'm sorry. I should never have asked to go with Myrnin. I'm really, really-"

He put a finger to my lips firmly telling me, "Don't. Don't apoligise."

"But I-" He put the finger on my lips again and his hands pressed into my shoulders.

"No. Listen to me, Claire. You're going. I want you to go,"

"What? Why?"

"Because I know you want to," He replied sadly.

I shook my head, "I don't want to leave you,"

"You're not. You'll be back before you know it and besides, I trust you. You wont do anythng with Myrnin behind my back. I know you wont. Most people in Morganville never get to see the world, we're all trapped. But not you. You can get to see the world. Why shouldnt you?"

I flung my arms around him and he returned it, grasping onto me desperatley, "I'm going to miss you _so _much," I was sobbing again now, but I let the tears flow uncontrolably.

He sniffed a little and whiped his eyes. He stroked my hair loving and said, "I'll miss you too, but I know this is bst for you. Besides, there's always skype,"

I pulled away and wiped my eyes, "Yeah, there's always skype," We stared at each other for a few seonds before it grew awkward as we realised that neither of us really knew what to say next.

"So..." He mumbled, his rough voice filling the gap, "What time are you leaving?"

"Four,"

"It's two o'clock now," He said with a slight sadness in his voice and I knew he was secretly hoping I would stay, "I hope you dont mind if I don't help you pack,"

"That's okay. I understand," I nodded and he smiled sadly at me and walked out, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I was doing the right thing, but it didn't stop me from thinking about how much I was going to miss him.

I pulled a suitcase out from under the bed. The last time I used it was when I was going to Boston. Seeing the raggedy old pink case brought made memories of how I'd felt the same back then. Confused. Guilty. Regretful. Would I feel the same throughout the whole trip with Myrnin?

It was only when I started to pack that I realised that I had no idea what to take. Mainly, it was because I had no idea where we were going. Was it going to be hot or cold? I had no clue, and I don't think Myrnin did either. In the end, I decide to take a mix of things. Some long sleeves, some short. Some pants, some dresses. At least then, if I ran out of things to wear, I had enough that I could manage for a while before needing to get more.

I called my parents to let them know I was going. They were shocked, of course, but they liked Myrnin (God knows why since he's probably crazier than all of us put together) and thought the trip would be good for me. My Mum made me promise to call regulary and my Dad wanted me to document it so that I could show them when they got back. All that parenty stuff. Hearing them talk about the trip made me feel excited and took a certain weight off my chest about leaving.

I threw on a light black hoodie and heaved my suitcase downstairs. I left it by the front door and headed into the kitchen with my backpack. For the first time in months, it was empty of books and school supplies. It felt so much lighter than usual, and I almost chuckled to myself as I picked out some snacks, a few drinks and some money, figuring that Myrnin would probably forget about my need for them.

Suddenly, I heard a cough coming from the doorway. I span around quickly to see Michael and Eve standing behind me. She looked pretty angry at me. Her arms crossed over her chest and she scowled at me. I bit my lip. I always hated facing Eve's wrath. She mellowed a bit when she saw me and held her arms out. I did a double take.

"You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye _again_, were you?" She chuckled, but it had a sad undertone, "Come here,"

I dropped my bag on the table and practically leapt into her arms. We hugged each other tightly and I buried my face into her shoulder. She cried softly and sniffled into me and I eventually did the same. After a while, she pulled away and held me at an arms length.

"If he hurts you in any way, I swear to God-"

I cut her off, "He wouldnt dare. I'll be fine,"

She sighed and hugged me again, "You always are, Claire Bear," She pulled away and looked over at Michael who stepped forward and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.

"Damn, I'm going to miss you kiddo," I laughed and he continued, "P.S, you have to get me a souviniour from _everywhere _you go. That's an order,"

"Yeah, of course, _Sir Michael_," I mocked and we all laughed a little. That was the best thing about friends who are boys, it's so simple. Quick and easy. Michael gave me a little salute and I threw a nervous glance towards the living room door and both Michael and Eve shot me a sympathetic look.

I had to walk past Shane to get to the portal, and even though we sort of said our goodbyes earlier, I knew that the final goodbye would be the hardest. I wasn't so sure that I wouldn't throw my bags down and never leave if it was too hard, but I had to do it.

I knocked lightly on the door and poked my head through cautiously, "Your turn," I held my arms out.

He didn't look at me, he sipped from his can of beer and stared blankly at the TV, "Don't. Don't make this harder than it already is,"

"But-"

"Just go." He sounded angry. But he'd said it was okay when we spoke earlier. It was too late to change my mind now. I just nodded, grabbed my backs and headed over to the portal. I waited for a few moments with my hand wavering over the handle, knowing that opening it would be one of the biggest decisions that I will ever make.

"Bye, Shane, I love you," I whispered. I had no idea if he heard me but he didn't stare and he didn't reply. I was a little hurt. I took a few deep breaths and stepped through the door. I got one quick glance at the place that I wouldn't get to call home again for a while before I felt the crushing pressure of the portal and the bright lights of the lab...

**Oh my gosh, I didn't realise how hard this would be too write. It reminds me too much of when I had to leave all of my friends and family behind to move country. Like, I genuinally cried at the end there.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I was planning to upload this before I went on holiday but I've been so busy, I completely forgot :o Sorry... Thank you for all the lovely reviews, they made my day! :D**

It was almost as if it happened in slow motion. First he turned to face me, his curls bouncing and flicking as he did. Then he smiled, the most natural and beautiful smile I'd ever seen him make. Then I saw his brain ticking away, beating himself down: confusion, disappointed, disbelief crossing his face.

"Claire, what are you doing here?" He couldn't hide the flickers of hope before his face fell again when he thought that I wasn't going to go. It was almost sad to see the self hatred written all over his face.

"I'm coming with you. You said I could and I want to." It all comes out in one breath, a long strung out sentence. For a human, it may have been difficult to decipher but I knew that Myrnin would be able to figure it out.

He stares at my thoughtfully for a few seconds, his eyebrows scrunched up as if he was trying to figure out if I was being genuine or not. I stared right back at him with a look that I hoped was certainty. Then I saw the corner of his mouth twitch and he gave a crooked smile with his dimples showing.

"When do we leave?" I asked, as he turned away from me and continued throwing things carelessly into a suitcase, not really caring about how they were folded or order, as per usual. I should have expected it from him. After all, it wasn't Myrnin who kept the lab tidy, was it?

"Now," He announced, snapping his briefcase shut and spinning towards me. We were closer than we should of been, his breath soft on my face. I stepped back, turning my face away.

"Very well," I heard a voice call from across the room and my head snapped up in that direction. Amelie. How long had she been standing there? "I don't remember being asked for formal permission for Claire to leave Morganville,"

"Sorry Ma'am," Myrnin apologised, bowing his head to her. I felt my cheeks burn bright red. She was right, we hadn't even asked her if I could leave. We both just assumed that the offer would still be available. I looked down at my feet sheepishly. It would be pretty embarrassing if she sent me home now and I didn't get to go anywhere, after all of the drama.

"But I suppose that the two of you would find a way to get out of town unnoticed anyhow so I will allow you to go." Amelie ordered, "On the condition that you come straight back as soon as you have finished the work assigned to you. Do not dilly dally either, this needs to be done as soon as possible,"

"Of course, Ma'am," I said clearly, turning to Myrnin and smiling. This was actually happening! We were actually going to go on a round the world trip.

She turned on her heels and stalked away, leaving us alone. Then I thought about what she'd actually said and furrowed my eyebrows at Myrnin. He swallowed nervously.

"Wait! What _work assigned to us_?" I asked him angrily and I saw him tense slightly.

"Don't worry about it, Claire. I'll sort it all out. You can just enjoy your time," He reassured me and I felt a rush of uncharacteristic sense of calm wash over me. What was I worried for? Myrnin would sort it all out. I'd be okay. _We'd be okay._

I let the whole assignment thing slip over my head as I heard a car pull up outside. I walked over the door and peered outside. A flashy black Aston Martin with tinted windows was parked outside and a man in a suit and tie was walking up the alleyway. I felt Myrnin behind me looking outside too.

"Oh goody, time to leave," he said and grabbed both our bags, heaving them into the arms of the waiting vampire. Myrnin started striding quickly towards he car and I followed him, almost having to jog alongside to keep up. He got to the door, opened it and gestured inside.

"Climb in mi'lady," He said politely, the Welsh twinge in his voice shining out more than ever. I nodded at him and smiled, climbing through into the back seat. I felt special. Myrnin climbed in after me holding a bottle of champagne.

He raised the bottle, offering me a glass. I nodded at him and glanced back out of the window. This was the last time I'd see Morganville for at least a few months. It was bitter sweet. I knew I had to leave, but I almost wanted to jump out of the car and run home and snuggle up in bed with my boyfriend and my friends and my classes and everything that I knew. It was strange how somewhere so unsafe had become the very definition of safety for me. This place, as dangerous and run-down as it was, had become home, my nest.

And now I was flying it, leaving it behind. I'd be back of course but with me going off into the unknown with a bipolar vampire who had made it clear in the past that he could kill me easily, and all. I was sure to learn and mature when I was traveling. Who knew how things would have changed by the time I arrive back at Morganville?

**It's a bit of a filler, I know, I know. Forgive me? So they've left Morganville... Where are they headed? From now on is where the magic starts ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

The driver took us up to the Morganville boundaries, but no further. After that, we were issued a courtesy car and Myrnin took driver's seat. It had been an _interesting _conversation when we got to the border. I couldn't drive, by law, and while Myrnin officially _could, _it was probably in everyone's best interests that he _didn't. _We argued about it at first, but Myrnin had law on his side and I eventually gave in and let him drive. Surprisingly, once we were out of Morganville, he wasn't too bad at driving.

That seemed like a lifetime ago now. It had been hours since then. I wasn't sure exactly how long it had been but it had been mind numbingly boring. I'd kept myself entertained with magazines and books and music, but they only lasted so long and now, I was staring out of the window in boredom, watching as the world flashed past us as we drove.

I sighed loudly, "Are we there yet?"

"Do we _look_ like we're there yet?" Myrnin quipped back, clearly annoyed that I was asking again. I sighed back at him, but then mentally agreed that since it was probably the 50th time I'd asked in the last 10 minutes, it was only predictable that he was annoyed.

"Will you at least tell me where we're going?" I growled, irritation coming across clearly as I spoke.

"No."

"Whyyy?" I whined. He shook his head. Wherever we were going, it was going to be good if he was so desperate to keep it a secret. I rolled my eyes, and leaned back in the chair, wrapping a fleece blanket around me as I went back to staring out of the window.I missed Shane. It may have sounded stupid. After all, we'd been apart for less than a day and my heart was already aching, begging to go home.

Home. The word itself sounding appealing. I wanted nothing more than to turn the car around and head straight back to Morganville. I'd run into Shane's arm, kiss him then hold onto him, vowing never to leave. Then Michael and Eve would joke about the whole situation and we'd order pizza and watch a movie for old times sake.

No. I brushed those thoughts away. I wasn't going home now. I didn't go through all the arguing with Shane and emotional debate to give up before it had even started. I was here, and I would stay here. If nothing else, it would give me something interesting to tell the grandchildren, I concluded.

Off in the horizon, the sun was setting, fiery with streaks of orange and purple running through it like a river. I instinctively opened my mouth to tell Myrnin that we had to find a motel or something. Who knew what could attack us at night? Then I embarrassingly reminded myself that we weren't in Morganville any more, and that Myrnin was a vampire. There was no reason that we couldn't keep driving through the night.

I sighed and pulled my knees into my chest, bringing the soft purple fleece closer to me, taking comfort in it's warmth. A rumbling noise filled the car and for a second, I wondered what the hell it was. Then I realised that it was coming from my stomach and that I hadn't really eaten all day. I felt my self blush bright red as Myrnin gave me a confused glance.

"I'm starving," I admitted nervously, throwing in an anxious chuckle at the end to try and cover the fact that I was pretty embarrassed.

"Oh?" Myrnin asked at first and then I watched the cogs turning in his head as his confused look became slightly sheepish, "Oh. I forgot you humans have to eat,"

I shot him a smile to let him know that it was okay, "There should be a McDonalds or something coming up soon, you can just pull in and go through the drive though if you want,"

He nodded and turned back to look at the road. Sure enough, I was right, in less than 5 minutes, we hit the service stations. I mentally thanked God for fast food and directed Myrnin to the drive through.

"What do you want?" he asked, turning to me.

"Burger, fries and a drink sounds good," I told him simply.

He nodded at me, "I suppose I'll have the same then,"

Since when did Myrnin like fast food? I'd never really seen him eat much before. I shot him a weird glance, but he started ordering before I could ask him about it. He took our order from the employee and then pulled up so we could eat. He passed me my food, and I stuck a few fries in my mouth greedily, not really caring that I probably didn't look very lady-like right now. To my surprise, when I turned around, Myrnin was smiling at me widely. He dropped it quickly, looking down in his lap at his own dinner.

I finished chewing then decided to try and make conversation, "Since when did you start eating burgers and fries, eh?"

"I'll have you know that vampires eat human food all the time. Of course it does not sustain us or provide anything nutritionally, but it can be quite pleasurable to eat from time to time," then he looked down at his burger, embarrassed, "Although, I have to admit. This is the first time, I have ever tried _this,_"

I almost laughed. How old was he now? A thousand, maybe? And he had never eaten a burger before? I shook my head at him and smiled, "It's good, promise,"

He turned the burger over in my hands, as if checking it for poison, "Well, it smells like rubber,"

I chuckled slightly, "It does not!"

"I would like to remind you, once again, that I have a stronger sense than you, love," I froze. Love. He'd called me 'love'. Why was he calling me love? I looked over at him and watched as his face dropped, an innocent smile morphing into a self-loathing frown.

"Love?"

"Slip of the tongue..." He mumbled, then distracted himself by taking a bite into his burger. He chewed mindlessly, before swallowing and giving a death glare down at his burger.

"I'm not your love," I told him coldly, making it clear to him that he was never to call me love again. I was dating Shane. Just because I agreed to this trip with Myrnin, it didn't make us any more than just friends. Although right now, I didn't want to be his friend at all. Shane was the only person who could call me 'love'. Not Myrnin, _Shane. _It's funny how one word can just ruin everything and make it all awkward and horrible.

Myrnin nodded at me sadly, then bit into his burger again. Repeating the eating without really tasting again. I gave him a death stare for a while, as he looked up at me.

"Tastes like rubber, too," He laughed half-heartedly, obviously trying to fix what he'd said wrong. He smiled at me hopefully, his eyes asking me to forgive him.

I chuckled angrily. It had been intended to sound cheerful,but instead it sound irritated and annoyed, which was probably most accurate right now. What made him think that he could call me love? I shook my head and turned away.

**What do you think? Is Claire over reacting? Or is she right?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Second chapter today because why not... Where do you guys think Claire and Myrnin's first stop will be?**

"Claire." Myrnin sighed, "Come on, it's a nickname. I call a lot of people Love,"

"I've never heard you call anyone love before," I raged, "You _know _that Shane calls me love,"

"You're blowing this way out of proportion, Claire!" He growled at me, and I could see him getting frustrated.

"Me?" I spat venomously, "I'm not one going around trying to get in everyone's pants now,am I?"

"Who said I wanted to 'get in your pants', Claire?" Myrnin growled, "I don't even find you attractive,"

"Yeah. Well I don't find monsters attractive, I like my men with a pulse and a clear conscience so there you go," I regretted it almost as soon as I said it. I watched as his face dropped and he looked like a kicked puppy.

So what? I thought to myself, he deserved it. He shouldn't have been calling me 'love' now, should he? I turned my face away and glared at the ground as Myrnin through my food out of the window with a force, and gave an animalistic snarl. He started the car up and pulled out of the parking space with a U-turn that was probably illegal. As we drove down the highway, I noticed that he was driving faster and more carelessly than before, taking his anger out on the car. I resisted the urge to scream at him, figuring that I'd probably regret it tomorrow.

I didn't say another word to him after that. Instead, I re-read magazines about celebrities that no one really cared about and put my feet up on the dashboard. I knew it would annoy him, but maybe, that was the point. I felt satisfied as he shot a dirty glance at my feet then shook his hand and put his eyes on the road. His fists were clenched around the wheel and his fangs kept popping out every now and then. He was angry.

_Good, _I thought harshly. This was all his fault anyway. He tried to trick me into coming on a trip with him and leaving all my friends behind, and now I was having _the time of my life, _wasn't I? I should have just stayed home. It would have better. Hell, even tea with Oliver would have been better than an everlasting trip with this psycho.

I winced inwardly, even as I thought those things. Deep down, I knew that this wasn't Myrnin's fault. I decided to go and I shouldn't have taken my anger out on him. But I wasn't thinking straight right now. Instead, I let fury and loneliness take over me and I curled up in the passenger seat and tried to empty my mind of all thoughts. Empty my mind of all _feelings. _After a while, it worked and I fell into the blissful nothingness of sleep.

When I woke up, I felt a thousand times better. Refreshed, even. My bones ached slightly from sleeping but when I stretched out, my bones clicked and immediately felt better. I rolled over a little and found myself staring at endless sheets of white. I sat up quickly and looked around. It took my groggy mind a few seconds to process it, but eventually, I figured out that I was in a hotel room somewhere.

I swung my feet over the side of the bed and felt my toes rub against something soft and warm. I looked down to find a pair of fanged slippers looking up at me. I smiled to myself, Myrnin must have put them there. Wait! Myrnin!

I felt my cheeks blush red as memories from yesterday flooded back to me. I really had been awful to him, hadn't I? Then I remembered what I'd said to him and shuddered. I was so _mean. _I called him a monster, which was probably the worst thing I could have said to him. He wasn't a monster, not really. He'd made a few mistakes, sure, but that was mainly when he was still under the grasps of the disease. Besides, we'd all done bad things, hadn't we?

I sighed, vowing to make it up to somehow, and slid my feet in the slippers. They were exactly the right size, I noted, which only made me feel worse, of course. He really did care about me, he couldn't help that. I still shouldn't have treated him so bad. I really should apologize.

I walked across the room and pushed open the balcony, realising with a start that I still had no idea where we were right now. I stepped out onto the balcony, the cold air hitting me like a knife. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. We definitely weren't in Texas anymore. Texas never got this cold. Scratch that, nowhere _south _got this cold. Where the hell had Myrnin taken us?

I leant over the balcony dangerous, letting my hair whip around me. I gasped as I recognized where we were. I'd always wanted to go here ever since I was young. I'd always seen it in movies, but I never dreamt that I would actually visit! How had Myrnin known?

I took a deep breath and looked down onto the city. The sound of car horns and the hustle and bustle could be heard already and it couldn't have been much later than 9am. Yellow cabs lined the streets, trying to fight their way down the streets. The people down below moved quickly, never stopping, not even for a second. The lights were dying down now, since it was day but it was still breathtakingly beautiful. I was here! I was really in the city of dreams. The one, the only: New York, New York.

**Did you guess New York? If so, have a fictional cookie! Review with where you want Myrnin and Claire to visit next and I might take them there :) Also, my internet is down and I don't have word count so I'm sorry if it's a little short but I just had to estimate at how long to make it.**


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